This is a really good comfort food dish for cold winter days, and it's easy to make. The dumplings cook in the pan, right along with the meatballs and soak up lots of flavor. With lean ground turkey and lots of vegetables, the dish is appropriate for those on diabetic diets and anyone wanting to "eat healthy." I use white whole-wheat flour to make the dumplings, which increases the fiber and nutrients in the spaetzle, but all-purpose flour will work. The turkey meatballs are soft, moist, and gently seasoned. The dish is inexpensive to make, and leftovers reheat well for dinner or lunch later in the week. Enjoy!
Turkey Meatball and Mushroom Stew with Spaetzle Dumplings -- Serves 4+
Sauce/Stew Base
2-3 teaspoons of canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about a cup)
1/2 - 1 rib of celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3 cups of water
2 teaspoons of reduced-sodium chicken base (I use "Better Than Bullion")
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of light sour cream
In a large non-stick chef's pan or skillet heat the oil over medium heat and add the oil. When the pan is hot, add the onion, celery, and mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Saute the vegetable mixture until the veggies soften and release some of their liquid--8-10 minutes. Add the water and chicken base to the pan and stir it in. Bring the mixture to a low boil and drop in the meatballs carefully, arranging them around the pan, so they cook evenly. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the meatballs cook for about 10 minutes while you make the spaetzle/dumplings. After the meatballs have mostly cooked, add the spaetzle/dumplings to the pan, letting the dumplings drop into the hot liquid around the meatballs. You can use a spaetzle maker to make the dumplings, a colander with large holes (just put the dough/batter into the colander and press it through the holes with a spatula, letting the dough drop by little pieces into the simmering stew), or just drop small bits of dough (about 1/2 teaspoon) from a spoon into the stew. Let the dumplings cook in the stew for about 10 minutes, periodically spooning some of the liquid from the pan over the dumplings and meatballs. Turn the heat down to low. In a small bowl or cup mix the milk and sour cream and gently pour the mixture into the stew. Gently stir the stew to mix everything. Taste the stew and add salt/pepper to your taste. The stew shouldn't be really "soupy," but, if you'd like more liquid, feel free to add more milk/sour cream.
Meatballs
3/4 pound of lean ground turkey (93 percent)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt (non-fat is fine)
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1/2 cup of quick oats
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of dried parsley
In a large bowl mix the ground turkey, egg, salt , pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, yogurt, thyme, and poultry seasoning together. Add the oats, Parmesan cheese, and parsley and mix them in until completely combined. It's best if the mixture can sit for 10 minutes before forming the meatballs, but it's not essential if you're in a hurry.
Spaetzle/Dumplings
1 large egg
1 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together and stir them well. The mixture will be a bit stretchy-looking. Not to worry. You can use a spaetzle maker, a colander, or a spoon to drop portions of the batter/dough into the hot stew liquid. No, the little dumplings won't look uniform. That's fine and part of their charm. They will taste good.
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